Improvement in disintegrating or cottonizing flax, hemp



4 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGH Boneless, or RoYEns FORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT m-msmtacmme oacorromzma FLAX, HEMP, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 11,2'2'6, dated January 19, 1864.-

To all whont it may concern I Be it known that I, HUGH BURGEss, of

Royers Ford, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have inventeda new and Improved Mode of Disintegrating or Gottonizing the Fibers of Flax, Hemp, and other Fibrous Substances; and I do hereby de-.,

clare the following to be a full and exact de- I scription thereof.

The flax, hemp, or other fibrous materials which are to be subjected to the disintegrat ingor cottonizing process should first be well cleaned by any suitable machine" from the shive or the outer cuticle andinner woody substance. The material thus cleaned isthen subjected to the action of caustic'alkalhunder a suitable steam-pressure,- which may be done in various modes, of which I have found th following to be the best.

The hackled flax, hemp, or other material may be out-into suitable lengths by any 0011-.

venient'machi'ne, .I do not, however, confine (myself to the useof the material thus cut, but prefer it foriconvenience. This material should be placed in a boiler, (I prefer that known as Keens patent boiler,) and subjected to the action of caustic alkali at a press. ure equivalent to a temperature of 280 and upward. The strength of the caustic alkaline solution may vary from about one-quarter of p a pound of soda-ash or itsequivalent of potash, in the state of a caustic solution, to one pound of raw material. the quantity of alkali de- 1 pending on the character-and age'of the material operated upon.. For ret't'ed flax the best proportion is about three-quarters of apound of alkali to the pound of fiax. ,Care must be taken to keep'the mass of fiber submerged in the alkaline solution After theboil'er has.

used for the same purpose.- The fibrous mass is washed with hot water till all traces of alkaline solution are removed. It is then in a fit state for bleaching, and may be bleached in the usual mode.

Y The disintegrated or cottonized and bleached fiber, afterbeing washed and dried, will be found insuitable condition to be wrought into textile fabrics by well-known machinery.

. If it is deemed advisable to obtain the fiber in its natural length the following process may be used. The hackled flax is-to be loosely formed into hanks, and placed. tightly but regularly into cases or cylinders formed of iron wire of suitable strength. These cases or cylinders should then be plaoedoneupon another ina suitable boiler, of an upright form, having a manhole at the upper end. Caustic alkali of a strength proportionate to-the charac ter of the material, as hereinbefore indicated, should then be introduced into the boiler, so

as to cover the cases or eylinders. The manhole may be fitted and the boiler heated by any convenient mode, and the heat should be .raised to the desired pressure, as-hereinbefore described.

The mode of exposing the material to the action of alkaline solutions in cases or cylin;

ders is not'a part of my invention, as it has been heretofore used. The material may also be laid directly in the boiler on a perforated false bottom; but I prefer .to adopt the wire cases, as being. more convenient. When the boiling of the material is completed the alkaline solution may be removed by gently flowing it out of the boiler by means of a cock at its lower end. When it is removed hot water should be showered on the fibrous mass till the alkaline solution is entirely removed. The

cases may then be lifted out of the boiler, the

fibrous material removed, and placed in a percolating-tank and'bleached by means of a weak solution of bleach-liquid passed. through it. When bleached it should be washed by percolation and'dried, when it is-fit for the operations of machinery.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The mode of producing fibers for textile pur poses from fiax, hemp, and other fiber-yield-v ing plants by the action thereon of caustic al kaline solution at a suitable temperature, substantially as described.

Witnesses: A. B. STOUGHTON," EDM. F. BRowN.

H GH BURGESS. l v 

